256 research outputs found
Removal of radioisotopes in solution and bactericidal/bacteriostatic sterilising power in activated carbon and metal silver filters
Activated carbon filters play an important role in water filtration and purification from contaminants of different origin. Their limit consists in bacterial proliferation, which may occur only during prolonged periods of non-use and in their ability to remove radioactive contaminants present in waste water from Industry or Nuclear Medicine departments. In this work we tested a commercially available activated carbon filter for water purification enriched
with silver plated parts incubating in static condition at room temperature different micro organisms (Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella enteritidis, Staphylococcus aureus, Aspergillum niger), up to 78 days. The microbial growth was in general more inhibited in the presence of metal silver into the activated carbon in respect to filters with the activated carbon alone: >4 log inhibition of bacterial proliferation after 78 days of incubation the presence of silver vs. 2 log without silver. When the filters were incubated
empty of carbon, the sterilizing power of silver was confirmed further.
The activated carbon filters proved also their ability in removing fromwater the principal radioisotopes used for residues liquid medical and research purposes (131I, 99mTc, 201Tl, 67Ga).
These results contribute useful data for the use of the silver-enriched carbon filters in water filtration both for daily use at home, and professional use in a Nuclear Medicine laboratory
Early detection of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in Chagas' disease
BACKGROUND: Chagas' disease may cause left ventricular diastolic dysfunction and its early detection in asymptomatic patients would allow to stratify the risk and to optimize medical treatment. The aim of this study is to investigate if transmitral Doppler flow can detect early abnormalities of the diastolic left ventricular function in patients during the indeterminate phase of Chagas' disease, in which the electrocardiogram (ECG), chest x-ray and 2-D echocardiogram (2D-echo) are normal. METHODS: a group of 54 patients with Chagas' disease was studied and compared to a control group of 27 subjects of similar age. All were assessed with an ECG, chest X-ray, 2-D echo, and transmitral Doppler flow. RESULTS: both groups had similar values in the 2D-echo. In patients with Chagas' disease, the transmitral Doppler showed a higher peak A velocity (control group: 0.44 m/sec, Chagas group: 0.55 m/sec, p = 0.001), a lower E/A ratio (control group: 1.45, Chagas group: 1.22, p < 0.05), and a lengthening of the deceleration time of early diastolic filling (control: 138.7 ± 26.8 msec, Chagas group: 167.9 ± 34.6 msec, p = 001), thus revealing an early disorder of the diastolic left ventricular function in patients with Chagas' disease. CONCLUSION: in patients with Chagas' disease who are in the indeterminate phase, transmitral Doppler flow allowed to identify early abnormalities of the left ventricular diastolic function, which provide useful clinical information for prognostic stratification and treatment
Clinical use of polymerase chain reaction performed on peripheral blood and bone marrow samples for the diagnosis and monitoring of visceral leishmaniasis in HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected patients: a single-center, 8-year experience in Italy and review of the literature
Background. To overcome some of the limitations of conventional microbiologic techniques, polymerase chain
reaction (PCR)–based assays are proposed as useful tools for the diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis.
Patients and methods. A comparative study using conventional microbiologic techniques (i.e., serologic testing,
microscopic examination, and culture) and a Leishmania species–specific PCR assay, using peripheral blood and
bone marrow aspirate samples as templates, was conducted during an 8-year period. The study cohort consisted
of 594 Italian immunocompetent (adult and pediatric) and immunocompromised (adult) patients experiencing
febrile syndromes associated with hematologic alterations and/or hepatosplenomegaly. Identification of the infecting
protozoa at the species level was directly obtained by PCR of peripheral blood samples, followed by restriction
fragment–length polymorphism analysis of the amplified products, and the results were compared with those of
isoenzyme typing of Leishmania species strains from patients, which were isolated in vitro.
Results. Sixty-eight patients (11.4%) had a confirmed diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis. Eleven cases were
observed in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)–uninfected adults, 20 cases were observed in HIV-infected
adults, and the remaining 37 cases were diagnosed in HIV-uninfected children. In the diagnosis of primary visceral
leishmaniasis, the sensitivities of the Leishmania species–specific PCR were 95.7% for bone marrow aspirate samples
and 98.5% for peripheral blood samples versus sensitivities of 76.2%, 85.5%, and 90.2% for bone marrow aspirate
isolation, serologic testing, and microscopic examination of bone marrow biopsy specimens, respectively. None of
229 healthy blood donors or 25 patients with imported malaria who were used as negative control subjects had
PCR results positive for Leishmania species in peripheral blood samples (i.e., specificity of Leishmania species–
specific PCR, 100%). PCR and restriction fragment–length polymorphism analysis for Leishmania species identification
revealed 100% concordance with isoenzyme typing in the 19 patients for whom the latter data were
available.
Conclusions. PCR assay is a highly sensitive and specific tool for the diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis in both
immunocompetent and immunocompromised patients and can be reliably used for rapid parasite identification
at the species level
A case of muscular bridge resulting in myocardial infraction following heavy effort: a case report
Muscular bridge (MB) is transient systolic coronary blockage occurring due to exposure of a portion of epicardial coronary arteries to compression during systole as a result of tunneling into the myocardium. Although rare, these patients may develop angina pectoris, severe arrhythmia and myocardial infraction (MI). A 30-year-old male patient presented to the emergency with severe pain with an onset at the front part of the chest followed by spreading to the back and arms, during a football match. The investigations performed revealed anterior wall infraction and thus thrombolytic treatment was administered. Patient's history was normal except for smoking. The patient was detected to play football occasionally since his childhood; however, we learnt that he had started playing without warm-up exercises at the last football match. Coronary angiography detected a lesion with an onset in the left anterior descending artery following the 1st diagonal and extending to the 2nd diagonal and exhibiting a significant contraction during systole. The patient was considered to have myocardial infraction secondary to myocardial bridge. Sudden deaths frequently occur in competitive sports requiring heavy effort
Chagas disease knocks on our door : A cross-sectional study among Latin American immigrants in Milan, Italy
Objectives: We aimed to assess the prevalence and risk factors for Chagas disease (CD) in Latin American immigrants and to evaluate the accuracy of diagnostic tests. Moreover, we offered to all positive subjects a complete free-of-charge clinical/instrumental evaluation as well as benznidazole treatment in order to stage the disease and verify drug tolerability. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of CD among Latin Americans living in Milan and its metropolitan area was conducted between July 2013 and July 2014. Blood samples were tested for serologic evidence of CD together with a questionnaire covering demographic and clinical-epidemiological information. Results: Forty-eight (9.6%) of the 501 tested subjects were conclusively diagnosed as having CD. The highest prevalence of CD was among those from Bolivia (43/169, 25.4%) and El Salvador (4/68, 5.9%). Older age (adjusted odds ratio (aOR)] 1.05, p =0.004), a Bolivian origin (aOR 8.80; p =0.003), being born in the department of Santa Cruz (aOR 3.72, p =0.047), having lived in mud houses (aOR 2.68; p =0.019), and having an affected relative (aOR 12.77, p =0.001) were independently associated with CD. The ARCHITECT Chagas test showed the highest sensitivity (100%) and specificity (99.8%). Twenty-nine of the subjects with CD (60.4%) underwent disease staging, 10 of whom (35.7%) showed cardiac and/or digestive involvement. Benznidazole treatment was associated with high frequency of adverse reactions (19/27, 70.4%) and permanent discontinuation (8/27, 29.6%). Conclusions: CD is highly prevalent among Bolivians and Salvadorans living in Milan. Regions with a large Latin American immigrant population should implement programmes of active detection and treatment
Evaluation of different counting methods for use in radiochemical purity testing procedures for (99m)Tc-labelled radiopharmaceuticals
The efficiency and accuracy of different methods for quality control of radiopharmaceutical preparations for diagnostic purpose were studied. The radiochemical purity of 99mTc Tetrafosmin, 99mTc Exametazime, 99mTc Sestamibi and 99mTc Oxidronate was evaluated by different thin layer chromatography systems, followed by cutting of the strips into two or three sections and by the measurement of radioactivity distribution by dose calibrator or gamma counter. In addition, to confirm the accuracy of these routine procedures, the strips were cut into a number of micro-sections (14–25) and each of them evaluated by the gamma counter.
The three tested procedures gave similar results and revealed a good and comparable accuracy. The radioactivity measurement with the dose calibrator remains the most practicable because of the rapidity of execution
"Mushroom cloud": a giant left ventricular pseudoaneurysm after a myocardial infarction due to myocardial bridging – a case report
Left ventricular pseudoaneurysm is an uncommon complication after transmural myocardial infarction, occurring when a free wall rupture is contained by adhesions of the overlying pericardium preventing acute tamponade. In this report, an unusual case of a 61 year-old male with a giant apical left ventricular pseudoaneurysm after an unnoticed myocardial infarction is presented. On coronary angiogram myocardial bridging of the distal left anterior descending artery was judged to be the infarct related lesion. The echocardiographic diagnosis allowed for a timely surgical intervention which resulted in the patient's full recovery
Scintigraphic evaluation of oesophageal transit during radiotherapy to the mediastinum
Background: To quantitatively evaluate radiation-induced impaired oesophageal transit with oesophageal transit scintigraphy and to assess the relationships between acute oesophagitis symptoms and dysmotility.\ud
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Methods: Between January 1996 and November 1998, 11 patients affected by non-small-cell carcinoma of the lung not directly involving the oesophagus, requiring adjuvant external beam radiotherapy (RT) to the mediastinum were enrolled. Oesophageal transit scans with liquid and semisolid bolus were performed at three pre-defined times: before (T0) and during radiation at 10 Gy (T1) and 30 Gy (T2). Two parameters were obtained for evaluation: 1) mean transit time (MTT); and 2) ratio between peak activity and residual activity at 40 seconds (ER-40s). Acute radiation toxicity was scored according to the joint EORTC-RTOG criteria. Mean values with standard deviation were calculated for all parameters. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests and paired t-Tests for all values were performed.\ud
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Results: An increase in the ER-40s from T0 to T1 or T2 was seen in 9 of 11 patients (82%). The mean ER-40s value for all patients increased from 0.8306 (T0) to 0.8612 (T1) and 0.8658 (T2). These differences were statistically significant (p < 0.05) in two paired t-Tests at T0 versus T2 time: overall mean ER-40s and upright ER-40s (p = 0.041 and p = 0.032, respectively). Seven patients (63%) showed a slight increase in the mean MTT value during irradiation but no statistically significant differences in MTT parameters were found between T0, T1 and T2 (p > 0.05).\ud
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Conclusion: Using oesophageal scintigraphy we were able to detect early alterations of oesophageal transit during the third week of thoracic RT
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